My blood was boiling all of December. The newspapers were full of stories of rape and abuse of women all over India. It made me sick to the stomach. This was not the India I used to live in. How did we ever get here?
Attitude
Most mothers tell their daughters to ignore bad behavior or to put up with it. Not in my family. My mom never put up with men falling all over her on the bus or sticking to her like nettles. She nudged them, stepped on their toes, yelled at them royally and even prodded them with her umbrella! When I got pinched by an auto driver, my grandma went straight to the cops. Many were afraid that the auto driver would seek revenge and pose a threat to me. But I did not buy that story.
So don’t go telling your daughter, “Men are like that only! Get used to it.” HELL NO! That leaves our daughters powerless and at the mercy of lecherous men. My generation put up with eve teasing and groping and the present generation has to put up with rape? No can do!
Fight
Animals resort to two types of behavior when threatened. Fight or flee. I think as women we have done enough fleeing. The time has come to fight. We are not weak and powerless. What we lack in brute strength we make up for in our keen sense of intuition and our power in numbers. Every girl should learn self-defense. Carry mace or pepper spray. If you are a target don’t let the incident scare you out of seeking justice. Fight till your last breath and get all the support you need. This is where power in numbers shows up to your advantage.
Justice Delivered
I’m against the eye-for-an-eye-and-tooth-for-a-tooth policy. But the perpetrators of such heinous crimes can only be categorized as beasts. So if we can castrate pets who go berserk when in heat, why not castrate these insane men who think they can satisfy their urges by attacking the first female form they see. Makes sense to me and it seems to work in the Middle East countries. The crime rates are low because the punishments are severe!
Our defunct judicial system is badly in need of an overhaul. The victims shouldn’t be the ones that get humiliated and ostracized while the criminals waltz away. Don’t even get me started on the sorry lot that call themselves politicians or leaders! About time that our democracy spells freedom and a right to a good life for all – women included!
Until then, sisters, mothers and wives, brothers, husbands and sons come together to create the India of your dreams. Don’t wait for someone else to make it a reality. You have the power. Go for it!
http://www.indusladies.com/forums/blogs/induslady/indusladies-4th-annual-international-women-8412/
Punctuate Life 
Reads really great and love the passion that comes through. Nobody could doubt that this is an issue close to your heart. Good luck dums!
Thanks Shoms! I wasn’t lying when I said my blood was boiling!!!
Women have had a long enough history putting up with being treated as inferior. It happens everyday all over the world, and even if some cultures have come to accept it, if you personally don’t believe in being treated as a lesser human, we all have to stand up and fight against the idea. Great post!
Thanks Kelly. Yesterday at the Oscars Seth did a number on boobs…really? In 2013? Totally unacceptable!
What a powerful article. Women need to learn to stand up for themselves. In my family growing up, my mother always laughed that I would be fine because I was not afraid to defend myself. My sister, on the other hand, could not and still can not and it blows my mind. We were born from the same parents and raised in the same family. I was always daddy’s little girl and my sister spent most of her time with my mom. Her and my dad never had a great relationship and I am wondering now if that is why she seems to find herself at the mercy of men and has not been able to find a good, healthy relationship with anyone until recent. I just wish there were a way I could sway her to be more like me and stand up for herself no matter what it takes.
Thanks for stopping by Mary! Life has a way of teaching you sooner or later, the lessons that you so badly need to learn.
I applaud you. No one is coming to a victim’s defense. You need to take the bull by the horns. The whole justice system seems to have reversed itself. The victim is the criminal, and the perpetrator is viewed as the victim. There are gentlemen, and there are bullies. Time for the so called defenseless ones to bully these bullies. Take no prisoners. Again, I applaud you. Blessings.
Thank you Dr. Johnny! God Bless!
Well communicated Damayanthi.Completely agree to enough is enough. Let us become the generation that stood up so that the future generation can live without fear. without the fear of having to look back over the shoulder everytime they step out.
Well said Seena…thanks for sharing! Yes we have to live up to Tagore’s song – where the mind is without fear and the held is held high!
In Tvm capital of ‘God’s own country’ a girl who was harassed by 3-4 drunks near an eatery, and whose father was pushed around, thrashed the boys as she was well versed with martial arts both the local Kalaripayettu and the Japanese Judo. However the crazy cops booked her for assault! How will we trust the cops if they behave like this?
Congratulations ! Very well written…straight from the heart. Girls should be able to walk out of their homes, feeling safe and not afraid of these public nuisances. Yes, I am all for severe punishment for such unacceptable crimes. The punishment should put FEAR in the hearts of these savages – so they wont even dare to think about doing the smallest of harm to our precious girls. Teach your daughters to never be afraid and to stand up and defend themselves! Our society needs to come together.
Thanks Haneeda! I’m yet to win but I’ll take this as a sign that I am going to – LOL!